Pen Pals
by TheWindAlchemist
Summary: Two socially awkward adults decide to visit each other during the Holidays. DeiHina
1. Come to Washington

Oh my goodness it's been a while…

This is just a story to get things into the Holiday spirit! A DeiHina, of course ;)

-:-

_Dear Hinata,_

_It's that time of the year again, huh? Christmas. What did I give you last time? A key chain, right? Aah, what a horrible gift. I don't even live in a place that's interesting enough to _have _key chains. I got the one I gave you from the next town over. Haha, I love the scarf you sent me, though. It came in handy when my town got snowed in and I was stuck in my heat-less house for three days. Speaking of, I'm wearing the scarf now, as I write. It's snowing again, and I hope the post office sends this out before we get snowed in again… ;P We should really get email addresses, but unfortunately I can't afford a computer. Neither can my town library, apparently. _

_Well, this is a small token of how much I love you (As a friend, of course ;) I hope you like it!_

_From, _

_Deidara_

-:-

Hinata opened the rather large box that came with the letter. _I hope he didn't spend too much money…_ She thought uneasily as she opened the flaps of cardboard. It was a whole box full of art supplies – from paints and easels to pencils and markers. Hinata smiled widely as she examined each item. How could she ever thank him? This is exactly what she wanted!

She put all the things back in the box, trying to carry it to her bedroom. She squealed as quietly as she could in her room, dumping all of the box's contents onto her bed. Stacks of watercolor pallets and boxes of some of the finest brand colored pencils and charcoal pencils. The easels were wrapped in a protective paper which could easily be used as poster paper. In the corner there was a fancy glass case with a set of acrylic paint, each tube with its own brush and at the bottom was a large clean pallet for mixing.

She felt so lucky having a pen pal as great as Deidara. He lived all the way on the other side of the country – on the west coast – while she lived on the east coast, in New York.

It was a strange thing when they 'met.'

--

Hinata was walking down to the lobby of her apartment building to get her mail. One of the letters fell to the floor – it was stuck in between the locker's door and the wall, like it was stuffed in through the side. Confused, she picked it up.

_To whom it may concern,_

_Hello! My name is Deidara, and I am a 22 year old who lives in the state of Washington. This may seem silly, but I am looking for a pen pal – that is, someone to send letters back and forth to. It can be anybody. If you don't want to write back to me, give this letter to someone you know will write back. _

_In your response, please include your name and your address (Or, if you're uncomfortable with giving me your home address, a PO Box of some sort.) Also, your age would be a nice thing to know. And your gender._

_Thank you for reading this, and I do hope to get a reply!_

_Sincerely,_

_Deidara_

Hinata looked from side to side, wondering if this was a joke. Then, smiling a little, she decided to write a letter in response.

_Dear Deidara,_

_Um, hello. I am Hinata Hyuga, a girl of 21 living in New York City. Since I've no idea who you are, I've set up a PO Box like your letter suggested. _

_I'm not sure what to write in these sort of things, but I have been looking for a new friend to talk to. Could you be it?_

_Sincerely, _

_Hinata Hyuga_

Then, every few days she'd get a response, and she of course would reply back.

That was two years ago. It's pretty amazing how they've managed to avoid each other all this time – only communicating through letters. It's like having an imaginary friend – only a little less insane and he's not in the least bit imaginary.

--

Hinata smiled at the memory. She began putting her things away, and right away she began writing her reply.

_Dear Deidara,_

_Oh my god, thank you so much! I love it! Ah, I don't know how to thank you! Oh, maybe I'll buy you a computer or something like that! XD _

_I'm glad that scarf was useful! Sorry to hear you spent three days without electricity… That must have sucked! And I'll have you know that I like key chains, so it wasn't a _totally _lame gift. _

_Aah, I'm at such a loss for words – I love the art supplies you gave me. How'd you know? You aren't stalking me, are you? Haha… I couldn't thank you enough. You've brightened up my Christmas! If there's anything you want, just say the word!_

_Love, _

_Hinata_

-:-

Deidara almost squealed in delight when he checked his mail box. Another letter from her! He loved her letters – she sounded so precious and genuine. He wished that his letter were more interesting. He's so lucky to have a pen pal like her.

_I wonder what she looks like…_ He thought as he took a seat in his apartment's kitchen table. He looked at all the other mail before looking at her letter – he found it to be more rewarding to save the best for last. All the other envelopes were bills and advertisements anyway.

_Dear Hinata,_

_Come to Washington. _

_Love, _

_Deidara_

-:-

Hinata's eyes widened. Go to Washington? What a strange and sudden request, especially right before the holidays. Sifting through the rest of her mail, she found another envelope from Deidara. In it was about $500. In cash.

"Oh my."

-:-

Deidara looked out his window and observed the snowflakes piling themselves up on his balcony. _I wonder if Hinata's actually going to come._ He flinched in embarrassment as his thoughts of doubt raced through his mind. _Maybe it's too soon? Oh, two years is long enough to get to know somebody, right? But I _did_ send her $500 in cash. That's like, a good portion of my life's savings. And I gave it to some stranger (well, technically she's a stranger) across the country without a second thought. Augh, what kind of low-life am I? I'm barely able to pay my light bill, let alone house another human being under one roof. _

Rubbing his head, he walked over to his kitchen table and began to write another letter.

"Dear Hinata," he spoke as he wrote. "I realize how awkward my sudden request was, and hope that it hasn't caused you too much trouble. Looking back, I suppose I owe you more information, such as where I live and how to contact me through a quicker medium than pen and paper." He had to admit, he was getting way better at forming thoughts in a coherent sentence and writing it down at the same time. "Uh… If you're still willing to come to Washington, (which you're not being pressured to do), here's my real address and phone number." Deidara wrote down his address and his phone number, then folded the letter and sealed the envelope. He hoped the letter would reach her in time.

_Love, Deidara._

-:-

It had been a couple days since she found the money in her pile of mail. _Is he crazy? Why would he trust a complete stranger (technically) with this much money? _Hinata went down to her mail box again to find another letter from Deidara. She hoped this one would clear up this whole situation.

As she read, the more she realized that Deidara was serious about her visiting him in Washington. "Maybe I'll give him a call. Just because he gave me his phone number." She headed over to her phone, about to dial Deidara's number. But before she hit 'Talk,' she thought, _How awkward would it be to suddenly be able to talk to him in person? _That's basically what a phone call was, right? Talking to someone live, not through letters. Where you had to come up with topics to talk about on the spot. Truthfully, she didn't have many friends to talk to on the phone or in person. At work, at least, phone calls were about work. But this was real life – with a guy, no less.

Unknowingly, she pressed 'Talk,' and an unfamiliar voice spoke.

"_Hello?"_

-:-

_Oh shit, what if she tries to call me? It's been a couple days since I sent that letter, right? She might've gotten it by now. What do I say if she does? What if she calls me while I'm in a bad mood, and I yell at her? Oh god, that would be so embarrassing. What if I miss her call? _Deidara gasped dramatically – he was glad he lived alone in his apartment. _What do we even _talk_ about? _Talking on the phone was basically human interaction, right? He wasn't too experienced in that department. _What if she gets bored with me? What'll happen to writing letters to each other if we can just call the other whenever? Oh, have I jeopardized our entire relationship?_

Deidara took a deep breath. _Of course she wouldn't call me right away. Surely she has more sense than I do, and has enough sense to call me later on in the week or something._

Right?

Suddenly, the phone began to ring, and Deidara let out a loud yelp.

-:-

"_Um… D-Deidara?"_

Deidara gulped. Oh shit. It's her.

"Y-Yes? Um. It's Hinata, right?"

"_Y-Yeah. Um… H-How are you?"_

She sounded precious and genuine. Just like in her letters.

"I'm great. Uh... Did you get that letter I sent you?"

Stupid. Of course she did. How do you think she got your number?

"_Yes, I did. I have the money, too… Are you sure I can have this?"_

"Well, it was originally because I wanted you to come here to Washington, but…" Deidara trailed off lamely and mentally hit himself for it. She was silent for 24 seconds, he was counting. _"I-I see. Well, I'll think about it tonight." _Then came the dreaded silence that both weren't looking forward to. Should they say good-bye? But what if the other finds something to talk about right before they say good-bye, and they both speak at the same time, and then stop? What if the silence drags on for too long and they just hang up?

"_D-Deidara?"_ Surprised, Deidara shakily replied, "Yeah?"

"_Um… I really do want to go and see you." _D'aw. She sounded adorable. "I-I'm glad to hear that, Hinata. I really want to see you, too." Before another silence could set in, Hinata said, _"Well, Um, I have to go pack. I'll… talk to you later, kay?" _Deidara smiled, even though she couldn't see. "Okay. G'Night…" She bid him good night as well, and both hung up.

Well, she did. Deidara held the phone to his ear for a couple more minutes after. It took him a minute to register that he was very excited for Hinata's visit.

-:-

_Gosh, it sounds like we're trying to make a long-distance relationship work._ Hinata sighed as she set the phone down. Looking around her apartment for a bag, she thought about how long she was planning to stay. She guessed about a week or two, and she figured that Deidara had a washing machine so she could wash her clothes if needed. Of course, she packed the letters Deidara had sent her.

She hated to admit it, but having Deidara's letters nearby to read cheered her up when she felt a little down. The stories he told never got old – they always made her laugh. Sometimes he'd doodle in the margins and they'd be just the cutest things in the world.

Her heart made an unfamiliar jump, and her breath hitched in her throat. She observed this sudden action as excitement. She was really looking forward to seeing Deidara for the first time. She wondered what he looked like… the two never thought about sending pictures of themselves to each other before. In fact, they never thought about advancing their relationship at all beyond letters. She wondered why hearing his voice wasn't as big a deal as it should have been.

His voice… Now she could match the letters he wrote and the things he said together. She took out one of his letters and read it, smiling a little now that she could imagine what he sounded like. She wondered if he thought the same thing.

-:-

He did.

-:-

Hinata called Deidara one more time before she decided to buy the plane ticket with his money. She told him that she was going to spend Christmas with her family, and then spend the day after and New Year's with him. Of course, either way would have been fine with him. He was glad to have gotten another call from her in general. After she called the first time, he made sure to write her number anywhere he could (within reason) so that he couldn't forget, even if he tried.

Deidara, after Hinata hung up, decided to make himself a cup of hot cocoa. He never got used to the bitter taste of coffee and much more preferred the sweet taste and aroma of hot chocolate.

As he was getting out the cocoa mix, there was a knock at the door, soon followed by the ka-chack of someone picking the lock. Sighing, Deidara walked over and opened the door, earning a small grumble from the fellow who was crouched down in front of the lock.

"Hello, loser." The man greeted.

"'Sup, fart-face." Deidara replied hastily, stepping aside to let the man in.

The man's name was Sasori, for those who didn't know, and he lived in apartment #42, directly across the hall from Deidara's apartment #41. They've been friends ever since they both won the interview to the same job about 3 years ago. Well, friends in the terms that they were both in the same boat: Socially Awkward Men Living in Poverty. Since neither had any friends or immediate family to see or rely on, they decided that they were to depend on each other for everything one could emotionally need in another human being. Part of their friendship was based on the fact that both thought this at the same time, as well as other thoughts like, 'Why doesn't anybody know who the person who created underwear is, even though he created one of the best inventions of all time?' and, 'What would happen if everyone in the world jumped at the same time?'

Sasori couldn't help but notice that Deidara's apartment was cleaner than usual. Taking a look into Sasori's inner monologue, he came up with two conclusions that were both very likely. 1, Deidara finally realized that cleanliness was next to godliness (Or whatever the higher being is in this case), though he couldn't figure out why Deidara would want to be like a god. Or 2, someone other than him was coming over, in which case this would be a big freaking deal. People rarely visit Deidara, and when they do, it's usually because the socialite upstairs gave them the wrong apartment number again.

Strongly considering conclusion #2, Sasori asked Deidara, "So who's the lucky person that gets to visit you during these fine times of Holiday cheer?" Deidara couldn't help the little blush on his cheeks and sheepish smile. "You know how I've been writing letters to someone for the past two years? " Sasori nodded, not really liking where this was going. "Well, this Christmas – Well, this Holiday Season – I offered for her to visit me. She lives in New York – " At this, Sasori scoffed and rolled his eyes. " – and she said that she really wanted to come see me." Deidara's smile faded a little when Sasori said, "Well, there's not much to look at."

Deidara huffed, dismissing Sasori's comment.

"Okay. Well, when is she coming?"

"She's going to fly here the day after Christmas."

"Oh. That's a 5 hour flight, you know. And it's already Christmas Eve. How can you prepare her for two weeks of entertainment in a state as boring as Washington?"

Deidara thought a moment, and one word came to mind: Seattle.

-:- Christmas Day -:-

"Washington? D.C.?" Hiashi, Hinata's father, said in slight disbelief as they sat around the living room. They had just opened all the gifts under the tree. "No… Washington on the West Coast, Dad." Hinata said shyly. She wasn't exactly one to have friends in places as far off as the west coast. She barely had any friends here, in New York (Which was sad, since New York has many, many people to befriend). "Which is even stranger. What's in Washington?" Neji chimed in.

"Well, I've been writing letters to a friend," She blushed from embarrassment when her family started whispering to each other. "And we've been writing for roughly two years now… So we decided to actually meet each other in person and spend the holidays together…" Before her family could say any smart comments about romance and relationships, she added, "As friends." They visibly pouted.

"That's great, Hinata. Visiting friends for the Holidays. I'm glad you decided to spend Christmas with us!" Her mother said, smiling. Hinata smiled back at her. "I'm heading out tomorrow… my flight's at 7 in the morning." She explained. "Oh my. Where did you get the money?" Her mother asked. "Oh… My friend sent me money for a ticket… I'll be staying at his place until after New Year's."

Her family seemed to be uneasy, but pleased with the situation. It was almost late in the evening, so with their goodbyes they told her small tidbits of information and gave advice to her.

"Don't drink and drive."

"I heard it rains a lot in Washington – Bring your umbrella."

"If something happens, don't hesitate to call us. Or the police. Either one."

"Don't get married without inviting us."

"No, stupid! Don't get married at all!"

"Or pregnant!"

Hinata laughed softly to herself as she backed out the door and into the yard.

"Are you nervous about this? Let's send Neji to watch out for her."

"No, that's not necessary…"

"Egad, that's just crazy enough to work. Neji, do you approve?"

"Of course I approve! I can't let some scumbag take Hinata all the way across the country!"

"Good thinking, Neji! I'm so proud of you!

"Thanks, Dad!"

"I love you, son!"

"You too, Dad!"

By now, Hinata had backed away enough to be able to walk down the street unnoticed. Also, by the time her family noticed, she was in the car and driving away. She stopped in front of the house to wave good-bye to her mother, who was really the only one who noticed her leaving.

Hinata sighed, closing her eyes when she reached a red light. Her family was always supportive, but she sure wished she had other friends to laugh and joke around with. She wondered if Deidara had a lot of friends. _He probably does…_ _I mean, he's so cool and everything. Who wouldn't be his friend?_ She unknowingly smiled, then jumped when the car behind her honked. It was suddenly a green light, and she slowly moved forward, then merged with traffic to head back home.

-:-

"TWA, what are you doing? You can't handle another story."

"Yeah, I can! All I need is to BELIEVE."

"But you have another story going! Remember? Rich Girl?"

"I know, but I need an idea dump… this is it. And it's holiday related! Look, Deidara and Hinata have no friends except themselves! Pure gold!"

"You're stupid."

"I know."

Soo… yeah… Merry Christmas! I swear, this'll be a quick one! :


	2. So You Weren't Lying, Were You?

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas…!

-:-

Deidara ran around his apartment, making sure that everything was ready for Hinata's arrival. He made sure the kitchen was clean and organized, that the bathroom was clean and organized, that the living room/ bedroom was made and that there was a place to put her stuff, and that his bed was made.

…Wait.

There's only one bed. With room for two.

Deidara slapped a hand to his forehead. How could he be so stupid!? He didn't bother to prepare a spare bed for her, of all things! Stupid, stupid! Now that he looked around, everything was messy again. Oh, and she was going to be here in an hour!

Just then, Sasori walked in (Deidara forgot to lock the door) and looked around. "This place looks…" He paused. "Don't say it." Deidara growled, rubbing his face. "Well, on a lighter note, then… It looks better than before. If that counts for anything…" Deidara smiled a little at his friend, but inside he was burning up. _Of course it doesn't count for anything! She doesn't know how much of a trash heap this apartment was before now! Hell, if it looks bad to her – and she comes from the fancy New York city – then everything I worked for just got shot in the face._

"Hey. Look. I'm sure she'll appreciate you at least giving her the bed. Where are you going to sleep?" Sasori said in an attempted comforting manner. Deidara inwardly groaned. "That's the major problem, man. I forgot to set up another bed for either her or myself." Sasori snorted. "Hah. Stupid."

Thanks, Sasori. Really.

-:-

Hinata yawned as she stepped off the plane, one of her bags in her hand. The other was in that cargo turner thing (She never knew what it was called), which was where she was heading right now.

Little did she know, there was a person secretly following her. He was wearing a long brown trench coat and a hat with sunglasses. Under the horrible disguise was her brother, Neji, who had already grabbed her bag from the loading dock and was planning to give it to her without being suspected.

…Which was a near impossible task, but he realized that too late.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Neji walked up beside Hinata, who looked at him curiously. He noticed her reaching into her bag, probably looking for that pepper spray their father packed for her. _Good job, Hinata! You know what to do!_ Neji thought proudly. "I couldn't help but notice your bag in the loading dock and remembered seeing you on your way here. I took the liberty of retrieving your bag as well as my own." Hinata slowly nodded, noticing her bag on the floor next to him. "Th-Thank you…" Still keeping her hand in her bag, she reached for her luggage slowly.

Neji cleared his throat. "Well then, if you'll excuse me…" He nodded to her, then began to awkwardly walk away.

-:-

Deidara paced around the parking lot nervously, in front of his beat up car. He kept glancing at the entrance, even though he knew that it would be at least 20 minutes before she actually arrived. _Maybe I should give her a call – just to figure out when she'll get here…_ But what if she's carrying a lot of stuff, and she drops everything while trying to answer the phone? He doesn't want that… But what if she's one of those women over there in the corner of the parking lot who look lost? That'd be horrible, because all of them looked well over the age of 40.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Hastily, he took it out and answered, hearing Hinata's voice through the speaker.

"_Deidara, do you have blonde hair?"_

Confused, he replied, "Um. Yeah, why?" He looked around, trying to find another girl with a cell phone out in the parking lot. His eyes fell upon a beautiful girl with long blue hair, but she couldn't possibly be looking for him. The weird and nerdy girls from his college wouldn't even look at him. Why would this gorgeous young thing be looking for him?

They made eye contact, and she smiled at him. Her lips were moving, and he heard Hinata's voice through his phone. This was getting weird. He heard her hang up, and the lady put her phone away.

Speechless, Deidara walked toward the woman. "Deidara!" The goddess knew his name. Should he be happy? Or scared shitless?

She hugged him, and slowly he hugged her back. "H-Hinata?" The girl – Hinata? – stepped back and smiled at him. "Uh-huh!"

Deidara smiled at her nervously. "You never told me how pretty you were!" _That's right, Deidara. Turn on your charm…_ Wait. What charm?

-:-

Hinata blushed. "Thank you… Hehe…" She awkwardly looped her hair behind her ears and looked down at his chest. He was wearing a light green shirt under a purple sweater-jacket.

Deidara noticed her discomfort and immediately regretted his attempt at flirting (Maybe she was uncomfortable with the fact that his attempt was just sad?). "Um… Here, I'll take your bags and put them in the trunk, okay?" Hinata nodded and stepped aside, letting Deidara open the trunk of his car.

"So you weren't lying when you said it was a girl."

It was at times like these that Deidara suspected Sasori of being weirder than he was. Sasori, as we speak, was hiding in the trunk of his car the entire time before he left. What. The. Fuck.

Deidara quickly closed the trunk, deciding to just put Hinata's things in the back seat. "Is there a problem? Did I bring too much stuff?" Hinata asked, worried. "Oh, no. I forgot I had some junk in the trunk and had no room for your bags. It's alright – I'll just put them here." Deidara ran around his car to open the passenger door for her, like a gentleman. She smiled shyly at him as he closed the door and went around to the driver's seat. He began to drive, intentionally jerking or speeding over bumps just for his guest in the trunk. He could hear Sasori cursing him out from the back and hoped Hinata couldn't hear.

"Are you hungry?" Deidara asked, suddenly remembering how to be a good host. "Oh. Yes, actually…" Hinata looked down at her stomach and felt it grumble. "Do you want to just go grab some McDonald's or something?" You know, because that's all he could afford right now.

He parked his car in the parking lot at the mall (which was the only parking place for the McDonald's), and escorted Hinata to the almost-fancy restaurant. It smelled like the fries, all salty and greasy (in the good way) and the workers looked overworked and underpaid. He walked up to the counter with Hinata, ordered their food, then sat down to eat.

"So… How was Christmas, Deidara?" Hinata asked, smiling comfortably at him. "Oh, not too exciting. Gave a gift, got a gift." Deidara shrugged. "Aw… That sounds a bit… boring." Hinata tilted her head to the side. "I loved the gifts you got me. I can't help but think that they were a bit expensive, though." Deidara shook his head, standing up as he heard their order at the counter. "Nonsense. It wasn't a big deal." He came back with their food, and they ate in silence.

Afterwards, they walked around in the mall. He never knew that Hinata was such a bookworm – she spent a good two hours reading and buying books she liked. He wasn't even aware that she brought so much money.

"Oh! Deidara, did you want me to get you something?" Hinata offered as they walked by the manga section. On impulse – since his first instinct was to take offers – he grabbed a book off the shelf to his left. "Um. This. Please." Hinata looked at him, and then the book. She let a smile spread on her face at his choice. "Sure thing, Deidara." He only smiled at her.

They walked around a little more for about an hour, then decided to head back to the car and go home. Deidara had the faint feeling that he was forgetting something.

When they entered his neighborhood, Deidara saw all the shady people stalking the streets. He was surprised at how many people were out, despite the weather. He should really lock his door more often – especially now, with a new person visiting for a couple weeks. Nervously, he glanced at Hinata, who was idly staring out the window, seeming to be staring up to the sky rather than the town below. She noticed him staring through the window and smiled a little.

"What are you looking at?" Deidara inquired, glancing up at the sky. Dark gray clouds, the yellowish hue from the lights below. Same as last night. Hinata turned to look at him. "It's snowing." He nodded. "I know. It's probably cold in my apartment…" _I should bring out the extra blankets… _He remembered something else about his apartment. _…Agh, there's only one bed. I wonder what she'll say. _

As Deidara parked his car, he went around to the back to get Hinata's bags. He heard a banging noise coming from the trunk, and suddenly he remembered that Sasori stowed away in his car. Panicked, Deidara ran to open the trunk, where Sasori lay, wrapped in the blanket that was left in there a while ago. Sasori only shot him a glare before crawling out.

"Uh… H-Hinata, I'd like you to meet someone." Deidara called. Hinata dragged her bags to where they stood and smiled at Sasori, who would have done the same if it weren't for the fact that he was frozen into a ghastly frown. "My, don't you look just awful. Are you not feeling well?" Sasori could only manage a shake of the head. Hinata gave him a concerned look. "Well it's awfully kind of you to come greet us, even in your condition. It's nice to meet you… Uh…"

"Sasori. His name's Sasori." Deidara introduced. Sasori nodded to her, and she nodded back. "Sasori. It's great to meet you. I'm Hinata Hyuga, Deidara's friend from New York." She picked up her bags and followed as Deidara walked Sasori to the elevators. He remembered to be polite, so he went back and took both of Hinata's bags.

Deidara was suddenly overwhelmed with nervousness. _What if she's grossed out by my apartment? By my room? By my neighbors!? Oh, I should have prepared more. Did I fix the beds? Do the laundry? Gah, stupid. You do the laundry in the Laundromat downstairs. _Reluctantly, Deidara opened the door to his apartment.

It looked fairly decent – better than what he thought it would have been. He glanced at Hinata, who was oblivious to how gross the entire place was. Or, she was just very polite and a good actor. "Oh my, It's really cold in here." Sasori, who was behind them, chided, "Y-Y-Yes. Qu-Quite Chilly." He glared at Deidara, who thought quickly and said, "Well, I'm afraid I don't have a heater. But I do have hot chocolate to warm us up. How does that sound?" He walked into the kitchen and grabbed three mugs from the cupboard. "That sounds great!" Hinata smiled, leaving her bags by the door and joining Deidara in the kitchen.

The three sat together in silence, sipping their freshly made hot chocolate.

-:-

Hinata, after warming up with Deidara's hot chocolate, went to her bags and started to settle herself. She opened her bag and took out what needed to be taken out – toothbrush, towels, and tonight's pajamas. Deidara was currently at the door, letting Sasori out. They were having some sort of argument about how stupid one of them was. Deidara turned red and slammed the door in his face. He sighed and turned around, rubbing the place in between his eyes. He quickly looked back up at her and smiled.

"Is something wrong?" Hinata inquired, folding her clothes on top of the bed. She briefly wondered where Deidara was planning to sleep, since she only saw one bed.

"Nah… It's alright. Are you tired? The bathroom's over there if you want to freshen up for bed…" Deidara casually pointed to the door on the left, next to the side table by the bed. Hinata smiled. "Sure. I think I'll take a shower before I go to bed for the night…" Hinata gathered up her things and went into the bathroom – which she realized had no lock. It made her a bit uneasy, but she was sure that Deidara wouldn't do anything bad.

-:-

The second the bathroom door closed, Deidara scrambled to make sure the bed preparations were in order. Four pillows on the bed, two separate blankets under one comforter, more blankets in the corner, and a glass of water on the side table. He quickly changed into his pajamas and heard Hinata step out of the shower. He took a quick look around to see that everything was in order, then relaxed. Not knowing what to do with himself after that, he stood still with his arms behind his back.

Hinata stepped out of the bathroom, already in her pajamas. She smiled a little at him, then began walking toward the bed. "Um… Hinata, there's something I have to tell you." Deidara said. She looked at him, urging him to go on. "Well, I don't really have another bed in my apartment, so either we share this bed or I'll go sleep on the floor." He braced himself to be called a pervert or some other name, but her voice didn't sound the least bit angry when she spoke. "Oh. That's okay… We can share."

He saw the blush on her face. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking when I was making the bed – I should have asked around for a spare bed or mattress or something. I – " He was cut off by her when she said, "Deidara! It's alright! Really. It'll be warmer that way anyway." She was such an optimist. He smiled sheepishly. "O-Okay. If you say so…" He told her that there were extra blankets in the corner, and that she could wake him up any time if she was uncomfortable.

He let her lay down first, then laid down next to her, trying to be as far away as possible. He turned out the light, and the only sound left was the light rustling of the sheets. Deidara tried to relax, forcing his eyes closed and getting into the most comfortable position possible.

_Argh. This is impossible._

-:-

_Okay. So far, so good. I haven't done anything to make him think I was strange, right? No… In fact, he's acting a bit strange himself. Oh, I hope I'm not making him nervous…_ Hinata furrowed her brow in thought. _I forgot to do something…_

"Deidara… Good night…" She whispered timidly.

-:-

Deidara stopped his moving when he heard Hinata mutter something behind him. "Deidara… Good night…" He couldn't help his smile as he said, "Good night, Hinata."

-:-

Neji got into a taxi. "Follow that car." He said. Neji watched closely at the two in the car, especially the Deidara kid.

He followed them to Deidara's apartment building, which was across the street from a low-grade hotel. He saw that Deidara lived on the 3rd floor, so Neji requested a room on the 3rd floor as well. He set up the telescope he brought with him (which even he had to admit was creepy) and aimed it to the window of Deidara's apartment window.

It overlooked his sleeping quarters – a nice little bed just big enough for two. Neji cringed at the thought of his little sister sleeping in the same bed as another man. Another light turned on in the apartment, revealing Hinata and Deidara setting the bed up for sleeping. Neji kept watching them, all the way to when they fell asleep.

_I'll follow them tomorrow, for sure!_

-:-

HAPPY 2010! What's your New Year's Resolution?


	3. He Got For Himself A Tissue

Aurgh.

-:-

Deidara was glad he survived the night. But now he had the sense that someone was watching him. Like, all the time. It was like someone was up in the hotel across the street and using a telescope to spy on him. It was weird.

He looked to his right – Hinata looked like she was still asleep. So he got up and went to the bathroom, changing out of view in case Hinata decided to wake up at the wrong moment. He decided to put his pants on and work his way up – he imagined that if Hinata _did_ wake up at the wrong moment, he'd at least be decent in the right areas.

As luck would have it, Hinata began to stir and wake up just as he slipped his pants on, leaving him shirtless, but his original plan working.

"Oh! Hinata! G-Good morning!" Deidara waved at her as she stared, blushing at his shirtless body.

-:-

His hair wasn't tied up, and it stuck to his surprisingly toned back, which was accompanied by a particularly muscular chest. He was very thin, but it was the kind of thin that suggested that he exercised every so often to keep in shape. However, Hinata didn't spot any exercising equipment around his small apartment.

Hinata blushed a little too darkly – and noticeably. Deidara noticed her discomfort and slipped on a shirt. It got a little wet from his hair, which he quickly rub-dried in a towel. "Uh… S-Sorry about that… I just got out of the shower and was changing out here. I didn't think you'd wake up so soon…" He chuckled lightly as he hung the towel on a rack just beside the bathroom door. He went into the kitchen to get a cup of hot chocolate.

Hinata sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What are we doing today?" Deidara stepped out of the kitchen and blew on his mug. "Um… well, I'm not sure… I know that I'm taking you out for lunch. But right now, what do you want for breakfast? I could go out and get something to eat… otherwise I could scramble an egg or two…" Hinata thought for a minute. "Well, maybe you could go and get something to eat… I don't think I can wait for something to cook right now… hehe…" she chuckled lightly, then slowly went to get her clothes. "I'll be in the shower for while you go… Is that okay?" She hoped she wasn't being too bossy.

Deidara nodded and smiled at her. "Sure! Of course! Anywhere you'd like me to go?" Hinata shrugged. "Anywhere's fine."

He left, and she went into the shower.

-:-

As Deidara hurried down the stairs – he was slightly paranoid about elevators – he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was Sasori.

"_Hey, loser. Get your ass down to the lobby. We're snowed in."_ Snowed in? Uh-oh.

When Deidara got to the lobby, he saw the landlord, Sasori, and a few other of the weird looking residents of the building shoveling things out the front door. When he and Sasori made eye contact, Sasori threw him a shovel. "Help out, or I'll kill you." It was always perplexing as to whether he was joking or not. "But I have to-" Then Sasori gave him a look that practically pulled him into the situation, making him pick a spot and start shoveling.

"Oh! Deidara! Nice of you to show up!" Pein, the landlord greeted happily as he rested by leaning on his shovel. Deidara nodded awkwardly. "Y-Yeah… But I can't stay long… You see, I have a guest waiting upstairs and I have to get her some breakfast and-"

"_Her?_ It's a _girl?_" Pein inquired, raising an eyebrow. Some of the other familiar residents raised their heads and paused work to look at Deidara. He suddenly felt very warm under his sweater and scarf. His cheeks turned red. "Y-Yeah… She's just a friend, though…" He assured. The resident's snickers made them think otherwise. Groaning inwardly, Deidara cooled himself off with his glove, which was slightly packed with snow. It helped cool his cheeks.

He ended up helping his neighbors with the walk way, to his dismay. He worried endlessly about Hinata and how she would get breakfast.

-:-

Hinata felt her stomach grumble. _Where could Deidara be?_ She wondered as she walked around his apartment. She finally couldn't take it anymore and began to sift through his refrigerator. There was barely anything in it – he didn't even have the eggs he said he could make. She felt horrible taking from his fridge, so she just grabbed a piece of cheese and nibbled on it before Deidara came back.

But a few long minutes later, Deidara wasn't anywhere to be seen, and she had already eaten through half the piece of cheese. _I hope he's alright…_ She stood up and made her way to the balcony. It had started snowing again. What if Deidara got stuck somewhere in the cold? What if no one's there to help?

Suddenly, she got up, hunger forgotten, and grabbed her coat and sweater. She was going to go find Deidara and save him! She made sure she had lots of warm clothes on and headed out the door. She walked to the elevator, passing many people with shovels. She noticed that many of them had weird clothing, and that – out of all of them – she was wearing the normal outfit and demeanor. _Oh, I hope I don't mess up…_

-:-

Deidara looked at the time on his cell phone. It had been well over an hour since he left to get Hinata some food. He wouldn't be surprised if she was lying dead in his apartment right now. "Um. Pein, Sasori… I think I should get going now. I really have to get some breakfast." He felt his stomach vibrate and realized that he was hungry as well. But first, he had to change his clothes, which were packed with snow and soaking wet. He propped the shovel up by the door before he left to go back to his apartment via stairs.

When he got there, however, Hinata was nowhere to be seen. Panicked, he checked the bathroom, then the kitchen. He was tempted to make himself a cup of hot chocolate to calm his nerves, but he had to find Hinata. She could be somewhere cold! Or, worse, kidnapped! Knowing his neighborhood and other people in his apartment, it was most definitely a possibility. Deidara cursed under his breath and ran out, running up and down the stairs and checking every floor above him.

He had asked everyone from floors 4-6 with no results. Where could she have gone? He practically jumped down every stair case to get back to his floor, whose residents had the same outcome: nothing.

"Hinata!" He called down stair cases and hallways. He reached the lobby again, finding everyone who was digging before inside and enjoying coffee. Sasori looked at him, half knowing what Deidara was so concerned about.

"Hey, have you guys seen a girl walk by here? She has long hair that's blue and she's probably the prettiest girl you've ever seen…" He cut himself off. "Have you seen her?" He turned to Sasori, who nodded. She walked off in the snow, wondering where you've gone. A shady guy was following her, too." Sasori looked off into the distance, dramatically, irritating Deidara. "Why the hell didn't you tell her where I was going!?" He yelled. "She didn't ask."

Deidara, though fuming, ran out the doors in a hurry to find Hinata. She had no idea how dangerous these parts were.

Pein, sipping his coffee said, "And there goes a man in love."

-:-

Neji spotted Hinata leaving the building unattended. Quickly, he put on his trench coat, sunglasses, and hat and left his room. He followed Hinata across the street, then crossed to where she was, nonchalantly. He walked by the apartment building, which was a bit less than satisfactory. But Hinata looked like she was holding up okay.

He was sure to keep some distance from her, especially when they stopped at the same crosswalk. She glanced at him and smiled, then turned away. He nodded to her, feeling awkward at how they seemed like strangers. They crossed the street, and he followed her all the way for three blocks.

He planned to follow her for as long as she was going, but a certain blonde haired boy came running and…

-:-

Deidara saw a pink hat that covered dark blue hair on the other side of the street. He realized that it was Hinata, and there was indeed a man who was following her. Angered, he ran across the street – even though it wasn't his right of way – and almost got hit by a car on the curb. "Shit!" He said, scared for a minute but determined to get to Hinata.

"Hinata!" He called as loud as he could. Hinata turned around, and so did the man following her. He ran over to where she was on the corner and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Hinata! Do you have any idea how…" He trailed off, staring into her confused eyes for a minute. "Deidara…" Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes, and she hugged him tightly. Blushing, he hugged her back, almost as tightly, but he couldn't match her strength (which made him a bit sad, but…). She looked up at him and said, "I-I-I thought something happened to you… A-And that's why you were gone for so long… I got worried and…" She sobbed into his jacket, which was already soaking wet. Deidara closed his eyes, marveling the feeling of the hold of a girl. He soon realized that it was his turn to talk.

"Well… I'll explain to you later, but… when I went back up to the apartment, and you weren't there, I got so scared. I mean, I thought you got kidnapped or something and it would've sucked because… It would've been a bad first day in Washington." He chuckled a little. Hinata laughed, rubbing her eyes on his cold jacket. Her giggle was like music to his ears. "I'm sorry I made you wait…" he said softly, the relief of her being okay filling him up. "I-I'm sorry I made you worry… I mean, you're soaking wet!" Hinata pulled back a little and felt his wet jacket.

Neji, meanwhile, idly stood by and observed this tender moment. He was contemplating whether to let them be or kill Deidara for touching Hinata like that.

Deidara laughed out loud, taking a soft hold of Hinata's arm. He tugged at her, and she followed him as he started walking. "We could try getting a bite to eat – you know, while we're still out." He offered. Hinata hugged his arm and giggled. "Sure! Anywhere." He smiled.

They decided to get a meal at McDonald's, which was nearby.

-:-

As the two headed back to Deidara's apartment, he saw that his neighbors were out shoveling again. Not about to be pulled back into shoveling snow – which was, by the way, falling more than it was being shoveled away – Deidara pulled Hinata's arm and took her to a door behind the building. It was another entrance that led to a series of staircases leading up to every floor of the building. "I hope you don't mind taking the stairs…" Deidara said as he began walking up the stairs. Hinata followed closely behind him, still holding his hand. Deidara noticed this and turned a light pink, focusing his attention on the next step.

When they got back to his apartment, Deidara quickly went into the kitchen to get a mug of hot chocolate. However, a small mishap was the thing in one of his hands…

He looked up at Hinata, who was still blushing. She was holding on to his hand, looking absolutely adorable. "Um… Hinata… My hand…" Surprised, she quickly let go of his hand while hers retreated to her back. "S-Sorry." She mumbled, backing away in awkward strides to a chair at the table. Deidara stared after her for a few seconds before a chill ran up his spine and reminded him of the sweet warmth of Hot Chocolate. Of course, he prepared Hinata a cup as well.

They sat at the kitchen table in silence. Deidara absently stared at his right hand, which was significantly warmer than his other hand. He couldn't believe how soft her hands were… and warm. He could hold her hand forever.

-:-

Hinata sat silently in the chair, blushing like mad. _He sounded so worried about me…Like he really cared… Not many people outside of family really show that…_ She glanced at Deidara, who was absently staring at his hand.

"…Ah! Deidara, shouldn't you change your clothes? You might catch a – "

"AAAAAA-CHOOOOO…."

-:-

Deidara sneezed.

It was a mighty sneeze.

So mighty, in fact, he spilled some of his cocoa.

And as it seeped into the old wood of the table top, Deidara stood.

And grabbed for himself a tissue.

-:-

Aah, my attempt at poetry.

Sad, sad…

New Year's Resolution: Change someone's life for the better.

Don't let me forget ;)


	4. What Posessed You To Think That?

Deidara coughed and sneezed as he crawled into bed. "Guh… where'd this come from…?" He muttered to himself as Hinata walked into the kitchen to get an ice pack. "It's because you didn't change out of your wet clothes…" She hurried back and pulled the covers up to his chin. "Oh, Hinata… I'm sorry. This is probably the worst first day you've ever had…" Deidara apologized, his head nodding a little. He felt dizzy…

"No, it's alright. I don't mind…" She smiled sheepishly, blushing. "I mean, overall I get to spend time with you, right?" Deidara looked at her, his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier. He leaned over and cupped Hinata's face, then pulled her so that his lips brushed against hers. When he realized what he did, he was almost hesitant to pull back, since he was scared of what Hinata's reaction would be. He was really out of it, he explained to himself, and he felt the urge to just… uh…

His fever intensified and he fell back, passed out. Hinata's mouth hung open in surprise, her cheeks turning the brightest pink. Then she bit her lip, staring at Deidara for a long time. Then she got up and washed her face in the bathroom.

Looking out the window, she saw that it was snowing very heavily outside. She spotted the other people of the apartment shoveling the snow out of the walkway – which was strange, since it looked to be a pointless effort. They looked extremely cold… She didn't want any of them to catch a cold like Deidara did.

Hinata counted all the people outside and looked through Deidara's cupboards for mugs and cups. Then she filled them with the hot cocoa mix he always used, then put them in the microwave so that they'd be warmer longer. Then, steadily, she put them on a tray and walked into the elevator, hoping none of it spilled. When she got there, she set the tray on a chair and walked out to Sasori, who was the only one she knew at the moment.

As she walked to him, he turned and smiled a little. "Hello… Hinata, right?" Hinata smiled and nodded. "Um… I couldn't help but notice… you guys out here in the snow. I thought everyone could use a cup of hot chocolate… and a break… so… I made some and they're cooling off in the lobby…" Sasori's smile grew a little more. Then, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "Hey! Our new friend here made us some hot chocolate! It's in the lobby!" Everyone stopped working and looked at Hinata. Awkwardly, she put her hands in her pockets and blushed.

"Thank you, Hinata!" The man that Hinata assumed was the landlord, came up to her and gave her an unexpected hug. "It's just what we needed! In fact, I think I'll call the whole thing off… It doesn't look like the snow's gonna let up." He looked up at the sky and blinked. "But of course we'll enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with you!" Pretty soon, everyone was sitting around and drinking up their hot chocolate, which managed to stay hot until everyone was served.

It was a fun time, and everyone escaped the grasp of a cold. When Hinata was about to take her leave, everyone yelled (very loudly) "Thank you, Hinataaaa!!!" and waved as the doors to the elevator closed. Sasori had followed her, since he was her neighbor.

"So, where's Deidara?" Sasori asked on their way up. Hinata struggled to balance the empty cups (they were placed so haphazardly onto the tray) and Sasori swooped down to carry the tray with ease. She stared at him, confused, then said, "Deidara caught a cold from today… He's sleeping." Sasori nodded as they walked quietly into Deidara's apartment. Hinata washed one of the mugs and started making another cup of Hot Cocoa. Sasori looked at her quizzically, so she said, "For Deidara… when he wakes up." Sasori spied the light tint of pink on her cheeks and smirked.

"That's awfully _loving_ of you, Hinata." Her cheeks turned a darker pink as she looked at him. "Y-Y-You think so…?" She asked. Sasori's smirk melted into a smile – he absolutely beamed at her. "You're so adorable, Hinata!" he sang, cupping his cheek to cool it off. "I can't believe you… Ahahaha!" Hinata blushed furiously as she brought the cup to Deidara's bedside table. She sat down beside him on the floor. She looked over at Sasori, who was staring back at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Um. I'm not sure what to do now. I guess I'll wait until he wakes up…" She looked a bit confused, but at the same time pretty sure. "What are _you_ doing?" She asked him, smiling a little. "Oh… Well, I was just going to head back to my apartment… Call me if something fun happens, okay?" Sasori waved as he began walking to the door. "Okay… See you later, Sasori…" Hinata turned her body so that her arms and head rested on the edge of Deidara's bed. As she watched him, Sasori watched her for a minute before leaving.

-:-

Deidara began to wake up. Keeping his eyes closed, he sat up and tried to remove the covers, but found that he couldn't. He forced his eyes open and saw Hinata lying beside him, on the floor. He also saw the cup of hot chocolate on the table. Blushing, he slowly moved her so that he could get out of bed, and then went around her to lift her up onto the bed. He wrapped the blanket around her, and switched their pillows (in case he got some drool or snot onto it).

_Ugh… I feel gross…_ Deidara wiped his nose and mouth area, then headed into the bathroom to take a shower. He lazily (or was it dizzily?) stepped into the too-hot water of the shower and closed his eyes.

--

Suddenly, he was being thrown onto a bed, people in facial masks surrounding him. There was an annoying beeping noise, and faintly he could hear Hinata's voice…

Daring to open his eyes, he was met with a bright light. When his eyes adjusted, it revealed a brightly lit hospital room. He groaned softly, trying to sit up. But a hand gently pressed him back to the bed.

"Please rest, Deidara. It'll be better for you, trust me." He assumed it was the doctor. Hinata appeared on his other side, looking like she was just crying her eyes out. "Um… I-I can explain…" Deidara felt like getting up and hugging her, but he couldn't. _Just what the heck happened to me? I was just in the shower a second ago…_

"Hinata ran into my apartment saying that you passed out in the shower." Sasori walked up next to her, grinning. Deidara blushed furiously. "What?" He croaked, embarrassed. "I-I woke up a f-few minutes after you… And when I went into the bathroom the shower curtain was open a little and I saw you…" She blushed as well – she clearly saw _that._ Deidara mentally hung himself. That was embarrassing.

"We thought the logical thing to do was to call the hospital… so we did." Sasori shrugged, holding back a laugh. Deidara managed to pull the covers over his face. "Um… Sasori, can you get out for a minute?" he asked. Sasori smiled knowingly and swiftly left the room. Hinata looked at him questioningly. "Deidara?" She inquired.

Deidara sat up quickly, making Hinata squeak in panic. "D-Don't! The doctor said…" He cut her off. "I don't give a damn about what the doctor said." He told her, angry with himself. He immediately regretted snapping at her. He held out his hand, and Hinata slowly took it. "I-I'm sorry… I made you worry. I never could handle colds and fevers very well." He sighed, and Hinata squeezed his hand. "It's okay…" She let go of him for a minute to grab something off the table. She handed him a drink – hot chocolate, of course. "I thought you'd want it when you wake up, so I made sure to bring some." She smiled at him.

On impulse, he grabbed her by the arm and hugged her tightly. "Y-You…" He started, not really knowing what to say. _You're really something else, Hinata._

Hinata was brought back to that moment where they kissed… Well, almost kissed. Their lips touched. She blushed darkly, slowly hugging him back.

"You're the best, Hinata." Deidara managed to say. He fell back onto his pillow, exhausted. Hinata smiled, her cheeks still red, as he fell asleep.

Then, she slowly leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

-:-

Neji paced around his room, absolutely worried. There was an ambulance outside the apartment today. _What if it was Deidara? Or worse yet, Hinata? _Naturally, he assumed the worst. _What if he raped her, and now she can't get married? Oh god, that's horrible!_

Worried sick, he drank all the free coffee his hotel provided and stared out the window until something happened.

-:-

The next day, Deidara was healed and feeling better than before. He certainly showed it too – sometimes he'd just randomly give Hinata a hug and they'd go somewhere to eat. Sasori sometimes joined them, and each time he'd notice the same thing about the two.

They were in love. With _each other._ It was silly, watching them. Both were incredibly shy, but it was evident that they liked each other – and it looked like Deidara was going to make the first move.

One day, however, Hinata started to notice it as well. She didn't seem too happy about it, though. She went to him to talk about it.

"Um. Sasori… can I talk to you for a minute?" Of course she could, she didn't need to ask.

"Well… It's about Deidara… and me." Hinata sat on his couch, and he sat across from her. "What about you two?" Sasori inquired. "Uh… Please don't tell him, but…" She went down to a whisper. "I… I like Deidara." She blushed furiously, and he chuckled. "Of course you do. It's obvious." She seemed shocked, but regained her composure. "But… that's a bad thing… that I like him." Genuinely puzzled, he asked, "Why?"

Hinata held her hands tightly together on her lap. "I-I mean… I live all the way in New York, and he lives here, in Washington. It's a long distance, and I'm afraid that if we start a long distance relationship, it won't work." A single tear fell down her cheek, and she wiped it away. "I… I love him, Sasori. And it hurts, but it's the truth… I can't handle losing his friendship, let alone a relationship…" She continued to cry, and he moved so that he was sitting next to her. "And I'm not even sure if… he likes me back…" Sasori scoffed, wrapping an arm around her. "Now what could _possibly_ possess you to think something like that? Of course Deidara likes you!" Sasori gave their hug a light squeeze before letting go.

"What…?" Hinata sniffled, blushing. "Ah, nothing. Just trust me, you two can make it work."

After a while of just talking, Hinata decided to take her leave. "Thank you, Sasori." She hugged him lightly, then left across the hall into Deidara's apartment.

"My goodness." Sasori sighed.

-:-

Hinata and Deidara sat in bed, about ready to sleep, but not quite. They decided to talk while they warmed up the bed. Hinata's thoughts were still racing with the fact that they liked each other… Now that she thought about it, they _did_ get pretty close over the past week. And they _have_ gotten more comfortable being around each other, and casually touching each other through hugs.

Suddenly, she had to try something.

"And then I was thinking about how…" Deidara started, but was softly interrupted by Hinata's yawn. Daringly, she slowly slipped her hand into his, interlacing their fingers. He noticeably blushed, and – betraying herself – so did she. "Um. I think I want to sleep now, Deidara… good night…" She hoped she wasn't being rude…

Deidara nodded, staring at their interlaced hands. Hinata kept her hand in his as she lie down, being sure to watch him. She pretended to be asleep.

He looked at her, then her hand. He moved so that he could lie down comfortably while still holding her hand. Then he looked straight into her slightly open eye and kissed her fingertips. Hinata couldn't help but blush, closing her eye tightly. She tried to pull her hand away, but he only pulled her closer to him.

_Oh…! He knows I'm awake for sure…_ Hinata mentally slapped herself for thinking this – whatever it was – could work.

"Hinata…" He brought his face close to hers as he held her hand again. She felt his breath on her lips, just begging, waiting. She dared to lean in, feeling her blush heat both of them up.

Then, suddenly it was cold again. Deidara had pulled away, grinning. "I knew it!" he said, laughing. Hinata opened her eyes, took one look at him and then buried her face in her pillow. "Hahaha…Ho boy. That was funny, wasn't it, Hinata? I knew you were awake…" He rolled back and let out a big sigh, his hand still holding Hinata's. Hearing no response, he looked over at her. "Hinata?" He leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder. She had small tears in her eyes from being embarrassed.

…_Oh shit! I made her cry! What do I do!? We almost kissed… Aw! Dei, you really messed up! _Deidara bit his lip and looked downward. Thinking of only one solution, he pulled her even closer to him, pressing her to fit him perfectly. "I'm sorry, Hinata. I didn't mean to…" He couldn't exactly find the word, but she understood and hugged him back.

"L-Let's stay like this… for a little while."

It was warmer, after all.

-:-

Updates might be a little slower since school started again… (Yay? Nay…)

And that was a lame ending to a chapter. I apologize.

Happy… Uh… What holiday is it again? What? The holidays are over!? Aw, nuts.


	5. Happy New Year

Aah, trying to spit out updates is hard =/

-:-

It was the 31th of December, and Deidara was inwardly panicking as to what he should do with Hinata come New Year's. Should he try cooking for her as they watched the fireworks? No, he couldn't cook to save his life. Or should he go to his parent's house, which was only in the next town? Nah, they'd probably get the wrong idea and start to freak out…

Deidara sat at his kitchen table, early in the morning, writing a list of things he could do. He was debating in his head, but he often found himself muttering and talking as he wrote.

_I've pretty much exhausted all my options except…_ Then it hit him. _Why didn't I think of that?_

Deidara lived in a small town just outside of Seattle. His apartment happened to be in the perfect location to view the fireworks of the biggest tower in town. Not many people in the entire building came up to the roof to see (which was quite a waste, if you asked him) except for Pein, the landlord and his wife, Konan.

It sounded perfect.

-:-

Neji woke up in the morning, feeling weird. It was the good kind of weird, but the same kind of weird that was still… _weird._ Other people could call it being content.

Yes, he diligently followed Deidara and Hinata on their lunches out. However, each time they did, it became more of a chore. And the same thing happened every time. They'd go out, order food, eat, talk, laugh without a care in the world, then walk the long way home just to play in the snow longer. Sometimes a red haired guy followed them around, too, but he didn't seem like much of a threat.

_I guess… I'm… fine. With Deidara. With everything…_

-:-

Deidara spent most of the day setting the roof up for his special dinner with Hinata. He had borrowed a heater and a gazebo that had solid walls to protect from the wind from a neighbor. He took a table and tablecloth and set it up. He set up a table for two, candlelit and nice food (from the take-out menu, lamely).

He made sure everything was perfect, and then joined Hinata and Sasori back in the apartments to relax.

-:-

It was late on New Year's Eve, and Deidara and Hinata sat together on the bed, talking and talking about their lives and past stories. Both were dressed very nicely, Hinata in a deep red sweater-turtleneck and Deidara in an oddly colored dress shirt with black pants. They drank something a little different – apple cider.

Both had just finished another bout of laughter as the happiness factor from the cider sunk in. Deidara wrapped an arm around Hinata's shoulders, and she blushed, though grinning widely.

"You know, Hinata?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sure you've heard from Sasori that I'm not the most popular guy around… right?" Deidara swished his drink around in his cup. "Well… I just wanted to say… that these past few days have been the best I've ever had. Like, ever." He looked at Hinata and smiled, blushing a little. "And it's all thanks to you." He dared to give her a small kiss to the cheek. She hugged him tightly,

"I'll admit, I'm not the most social person out there either…" She thought – for the first time in a while – of her life back at home. How her family was probably the only group of friends she really had. It made her sad to think that she couldn't make friends. She didn't even have a best outsider friend like Deidara had in Sasori. It was amazing to her how she even managed to fall in love with someone…

Blushing furiously, she pulled away and leaned back on the pillows behind her. "I'm so excited for 2010… It's going to be so great." She sighed. Deidara looked at her and smiled. "Yeah…" He looked at his watch, then, alarmed, he jumped up. "H-Hinata! We gotta go! Now!" He grabbed her hand and led her up to the stairs. "Wh-Where are we going?" Hinata gasped as he ran up, skipping a step or two sometimes.

"It's… Uh… Well, I… It's something for New Year's… I… prepared something for you. Something… special." Hinata spied the blush on his cheeks, and she got suddenly excited to see what it was.

You see, Deidara had a plan. It was a rather big plan, though very last minute. He was going to try and… well, ask Hinata to be his girlfriend. He played this plan over and over again, trying not to get his hopes up but being optimistic as well. He noticed from the day he first saw her in person that he was especially attracted to her. All other girls didn't seem to matter, since Hinata was pretty much the only important woman in his life (Other than his mom, but who wants to admit that?).

Earlier that week, he consulted Sasori about it.

"_What do you mean, 'I think I love Hinata'?"_ _ Sasori looked at him skeptically. Deidara, confused, began to ask him, "What do you mean by that?" Sasori shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, of course you love her. She loves you, too!" Suddenly, Deidara blushed. "What? Really? She told you that?" He got excited, and those famous butterflies began to flutter in his stomach. Sasori suddenly turned away from him. "No. Shut up. I didn't say anything." _

_Deidara left Sasori feeling (oddly) encouraged about him and Hinata. _

It was 11:50, ten minutes until the New Year. He had led Hinata up to the roof (via the elevator, to his slight discomfort), which was covered in a light layer of snow. There were another set of footprints before theirs, and looking around they found Pein, the landlord, and his wife Konan hugging each other and laughing at the unfortunate others down below. The thing that made them both get along was their shared love of the suffering of others. _Especially_ during the holidays.

Deidara smiled a little at them, then led Hinata to the other corner where he set everything up. He blushed a little, wondering if he should have hid it better than he had.

Hinata walked to the edge of the roof, resting her elbows on the ledge. "It's so nice up here… And the sky's so clear." She looked up, then looked at him, her cheeks tinted a light pink. Deidara smiled back at her.

11:55 pm, 2009. Deidara reached for Hinata's hand and held it tight.

11:56 pm, 2009. Hinata blushes, glances at him, then looks away.

11:57 pm, 2009. Deidara slips his arm around her waist, Hinata responds cutely – by hugging him back.

11:58 pm, 2009. Hinata watches the people in the streets, he gazes at her.

11:59 pm, 2009. Deidara (in a very manly manner) turns her attention to him by tilting her chin up to him. The crowd begins to count down.

5.

Deidara cups one of her cheeks, slowly and cautiously leaning in.

4.

Hinata's blush is felt in his hand – he cherishes the feeling.

3.

Deidara just barely brushes his lips against hers, but not quite.

2.

Hinata closes her eyes.

1.

Deidara closes the gap.

-:-

"Happy New Year!"

12:00 am, 2010. Deidara holds Hinata tightly, she does the same. They kiss for as long as they can before having to breathe.

Deidara kissed her again, this time a little harder. She pulled him closer (if possible) and the tiniest sound came from her. They parted, and, still being the socially awkward adults they were, hugged each other in a way so that they couldn't see each other's faces – Hinata buried her face in his chest while he moved his head to be beside hers.

The fireworks were loud and bright, and the two watched them while enjoying a reheated Chinese Take-Out meal. Despite themselves, each mentally checked themselves to make sure they weren't acting weird.

_Is taking a bite like this rude?_

_Is looking at her while she eats strange?_

_Is it bad that I don't make eye contact?_

_Is taking a drink before she does rude?_

_Is it alright if I look at him… for a second?_

Eventually, past all the normalcy checks, their minds were brought back to the subject at hand.

_Hey, I just kissed her. What does she think?_

_Hey, he just kissed me, what do I think?_

When they finished, Deidara stood up, making the chair screech behind him. He flinched, embarrassed, then looked up at Hinata, who looked about ready to burst out laughing. Pretty soon, he started to laugh too. He took her hand and they both walked out of the gazebo as the last of the fireworks were set off.

They took the stairs down to the third floor, giggling and joking the whole way. On the last step, Hinata tripped and fell, falling (classically) into Deidara's arms. Their faces ended up close to each other, and both blushed. They didn't know what to do in this situation.

_Is it okay that I kiss her again?_

_Should I lean up and… kiss him? _

Hinata decided first, and cutely pecked him on the lips. "Th-Thank you for saving me…" She smiled a little as they walked down the hallway back to Deidara's room.

Sasori saw them and grinned. He quickly noticed that they were holding hands, and that both had small traces of a blush on their cheeks. "Happy New Year, you two!" He greeted. They did the same and laughed. At the same time. Sasori couldn't help but chuckle.

"Are you together? Or are you just holding hands for fun?"

Deidara and Hinata both flinched, but didn't let their hands go. Blushing, Deidara admitted, "Um. I, uh, kinda… asked Hinata to be my girlfriend." Hinata squeezed his hand, looking at Sasori. "Did you two kiss?" he asked.

Keeping true to their socially awkward status, they blushed and froze up, keeping Sasori's question unanswered. He got the picture. "Aah, you two are so adorable. I could hug you guys." In fact, he did. And it was not awkward. Because they were all friends.

Sasori yawned loudly, stretching his arms. "Well, I hope you two had a good one…" he said, not fully getting what he meant by that. "Good night, I'll see you tomorrow… Or, today. January 1st, 2010."

They smiled and left each other, going to their rooms respectively.

Deidara let Hinata walk in first, then followed after her. Realizing that he forgot something important, he reached out – slowly and cautiously – to her arm and pulled her back to him. He held her there for a minute, staring into her eyes.

"Hinata… I, uh… I love you." He said softly. She stayed silent, a small smile twitching onto her face. "I… I know we only met a week or two ago, but you're like, the coolest girl I've ever seen, and I've never felt like this when I see other girls on the street or in stores or other places like that, and I really like having you around and-" Hinata stopped him by placing a nervous hand on his cheek. "We… didn't meet just a week ago. We've known each other for much longer than that…" She looked down. "You… You're the coolest guy I've ever met… and…" She turned a cute shade of red, then said, softly, "I love you, too."

Deidara grinned, leaning down to kiss her again. He held her tighter, an arm around her waist and another against her back. He didn't feel like stopping – he wanted to kiss her and hold her forever and ever. She was just that kissable and huggable.

What made it even better was that she kissed him back.

-:-

It was late (or early, depending on your point of view) so Deidara and Hinata decided to go to bed. When they lay down, there was still a distance between them. Of course, it was still cold, and it took a while for the bed to warm up.

Like love, awkwardness was a force that always prevailed. Which was very frustrating.

For example, Deidara's hand brushed against hers as he adjusted himself into a more comfortable position. He knew that she noticed, and she knew that he noticed that she knew. They didn't know what to do, since neither knew what the other wanted to do.

Mentally sighing, Deidara closed his eyes and thought. _Well, I'm obviously the man in this relationship. I should take a kind of leadership position and do what I want. Right?_ What did he want, exactly? Given the circumstances, a lot of things. But most of all, he just wanted to… hug her. And sleep. It _was_ late.

-:-

Hinata sighed to herself. She closed her eyes and thought. _Well, I'm the woman in this relationship. I should be able to do anything I want without feeling uncomfortable, right?_ What did she want to do, exactly? Given the situation, she wanted to do a lot of things. But right now, she just wanted to… be hugged. And sleep. It _was_ late.

She moved and adjusted herself so that she was facing him. She dared to open one eye, and so did Deidara. They made eye contact, then quickly closed their eyes again.

_I can't sleep like this!_

Inhaling, Deidara reached out and held Hinata's arms. He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "G-Good night, Hinata…" he whispered, kissing her on the cheek. He smiled sheepishly, and so did she. Her arms wrapped around him, and their faces were brought close to each other's. "Good night… Deidara…" She could finally sleep easy, warm, in his arms. As she began to doze off, Deidara kissed her head, then lightly on her lips before falling asleep with her.

-:-

AUGHWAH.

Hope you're all having a wonderful day…

Good night.


	6. We Can Do This!

I get really happy when the only messages in my email are the ones that say I have a review for a story… Gahaha XD

-:-

It was 11:00 am when they woke up the next morning. They woke up at the same time, hugging each other for warmth. They laughed, and sat up, welcoming the New Year with a yawn.

"Good morning, Hinata..." Deidara took a sidelong glance at her as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. He wondered what she'd do if he decided to kiss her right now. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he pulled her so that she could look at him. Then, quickly, he pressed his lips to hers. When they parted, Hinata couldn't look at him without becoming flustered and shy. "G-Good morning, D-D-Deidara…" She glanced at him, and he laughed. He felt a kind of confidence in making Hinata feel like that.

"I'm going… to take a shower now…" She swiftly hopped out of bed, ignoring the strong chill as she strode to the bathroom. He watched her every step of the way, she noticed.

When Deidara heard the shower going, he decided to make himself a cup of hot chocolate. _I wonder what Hinata looks like in the shower._ He thought, suddenly. Blushing, he slapped himself for thinking such a thing. What would she say, knowing that he was acting just like a horny teenager? Still, he found himself carrying his cup of hot chocolate with him to the bathroom. He slowly opened the door and set the cup down on the counter by the sink. _Oh god, Deidara. What are you doing?_

-:-

_Oh gosh… Deidara is so…!!_ Hinata closed her eyes and let the hot water flow. _I can't believe that I've been writing letters to him all this time… It's like a fairy tale. Or a fanfiction…_ (Ahem.)

Hinata smiled to herself as the smell of Hot Chocolate suddenly filled the room. _Huh?_ Pulling the shower curtain a little bit to the side, she peeked out to find Deidara at the door. "Um…" She noticed him blushing as he looked at her. "Deidara…?" She called shyly. He flinched and looked away, his cheeks turning darker. "Hinata… Uh… I… Well…" His constantly darkening cheeks caused her to blush as she thought the worst. _Is there something wrong?_

"I know it's weird to be telling you this while you're… - gulp - … in the bathroom… but…" _Come on, Deidara, what would a cool person do in this situation? STUPID! A COOL PERSON WOULDN'T EVEN _BE_ IN THIS SITUATION. _Mentally sighing, he said, "I want you."

Both were silent. Then, Hinata closed the shower curtain. Deidara, thoroughly humiliated, hit his head on the wall. Hard. It sent a crack all the way to the ceiling. "Sorry, I'll leave now." He left quickly, leaving his Hot Chocolate in the bathroom.

--

When Hinata got out of the shower, she found Deidara lying on the bed. The sheets were stained red, and he seemed to have passed out. Quickly she threw on dry clothes – despite her very wet hair – and rushed to Deidara's side. "Oh my God! Deidara! Wh-What happened!?" She shrieked. Deidara opened one eye and smiled a little at her. "Aah, nothing. I'm just a little embarrassed, that's all." He said, wiping his forehead. When he saw that his hand was covered in blood, he sat up. "Oh my." Was all he said. Hinata silently pushed him to put on warm clothes and head out to the hospital.

Deidara had to get a stitch in his forehead. Hinata couldn't be in there while he got stitched up – she couldn't handle looking at that sort of thing. As the doctor sewed him up, he asked, "Deidara, what could possibly possess you to do a thing like bash your head against a wall?" Deidara laughed a little. "Oh, I just embarrassed myself in front of the girl I love…" He brought his knees up and hugged his legs to his chest. "The girl you love…" The doctor glanced at the door. "Yeah. That's her…"

The doctor dismissed him, wishing him good luck in his love life. He walked out of the room and immediately took Hinata's hand, for the doctor to see. He winked at the doctor as he left.

Hinata stopped Deidara in the waiting room, examining his stitch. She held his face, making him blush. "Now what would cause you to do something like bash your head on a wall?" She asked, brushing his hair away from his face. He looked into her eyes, and caught the moment when she glanced into his. Her cheeks turned pink, and almost pulled away if it weren't for his arms suddenly wrapping around her. Casually, he leaned down to kiss her lightly. When his lips pulled away, he felt Hinata lean up to kiss him again, but she noticed that he wasn't kissing her yet. "Uwaah…" She squeaked in embarrassment. She looked down, but he kissed her forehead and froze her in place.

"I hit my head because I said a certain thing to the girl I like…" He said softly. Hinata tilted her head. "What did you…"

_I want you._

Suddenly, her blush intensified as she recalled what he said. He chuckled, leaning over and nipping at her ear. "Let's go home…" He whispered, startling Hinata greatly at how confident he became. He held her hand tight all the way back to the apartment.

Hinata stared at Deidara as he walked. He seemed to be rejuvenated. It was as if that stitch on his forehead gave him confidence. It was very… attractive.

Deidara glanced back at her and noticed her stares. He smirked at her, and she blushed.

--

It was a mystery.

The minute he walked out of the hospital room – when he winked at the doctor – Deidara's mind suddenly started to send out random goals and realizations for him to soak in. When he held Hinata out in the waiting room of the hospital, he felt – for the first time – flirtatious. It felt great. Now, as he was pulling Hinata back home, he felt odd to have this new goal –

To make out with her.

At least, to leave a mark on her that she could take back with her to New York. To show that she was his. Only.

Did all men feel this possessive of a girl? He hoped so, because he was acting a little too strange for himself to handle.

"Deidara…?" He heard Hinata beside him. He felt his possessive instincts kick in, and he pressed her against the door. He brought his face close to hers, then opened the door to let them stumble inside. He pressed his lips to hers in a slow but rough kiss, sending unfamiliar chills down their spine. _I want her. I want her. I want her._ He barely let her breathe as he parted for air. The same phrase repeated itself over and over, clouding his mind with inappropriate thoughts.

She squeaked when he trailed kisses down her cheeks and to her neck – which she could have sworn was covered by a scarf a second ago. He expertly removed her jacket and his own, letting himself wrap arms around her hips. "Dei-Deidara!" She squealed as he let a cold hand slip under her shirt and rest on the small of her back. He licked her neck once before looking up at her. "Yes?" He asked, seemingly oblivious to what he was doing to her. By now he had made her sit on the bed, with him leaning over her.

Her cheeks were bright red and only turned darker as she brought him down to her level. Her hand rested behind his head – on his neck – and her other arm rested on his shoulder. Struggling to stay level headed, she kissed his forehead softly. The second she pulled away, he advanced on her, kissing her everywhere her clothes didn't cover. He carried her so that she was all the way on the bed and straddled her. She was breathing heavily, and he paused for a long minute.

Hinata looked at him, her blush dying down a little bit. "A-Are you okay…?" she asked, sitting up. _I hope I haven't been kissing the wrong way or something…_

Deidara placed both hands on her face. "Hinata… Um… I'm…" _Sorry? Dizzy? Horny? Oh…_ Now that he thought about it, he was a bit dizzy. The stitch on his head was starting to throb. He felt himself waver and fall to the side, landing comfortably among the pillows.

"Deidara? Deidara! Are you alright? W-Wake up!"

-:-

"_Well, Miss Hinata, it looks like Deidara suffered from a little more than a cut on his head…"_

"_Oh gosh… is that bad?"_

"_It's not too bad. Just a small concussion. It looks like he might not have been himself for the past few hours…"_

"…_That's true…"_

Deidara woke up covered in his own blankets. He smelled a cup of hot chocolate next to him, and he saw the doctor and Sasori talking in the corner.

"Thank goodness… you're awake." Hinata sat beside him on the bed, holding his hand tightly. "What happened…?" Deidara lifted her hand up and observed their interlaced fingers. "You passed out… I got worried… the doctor was nice enough to make a house call." She kissed his cheek. Deidara closed his eyes and relaxed onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry… I don't remember last night at all…" he sighed. He felt Hinata stiffen and he looked at her. She was blushing really hard. "Something wrong? What _did_ I do last night?"

Hinata leaned over and whispered something in his ear. When she pulled away, he blushed. "I'm-I'm sorry! I didn't – I wasn't – " Hinata squeezed his hand. "It's alright… I… enjoyed it."

The doctor left, and Sasori crawled onto the bed and sat beside Deidara opposite Hinata. "My, oh my. You two…" It was as if he knew what happened last night. Like he was the one making out with…

"Oh. Hinata… You're leaving in two days, isn't that right?" Sasori asked, leaning forward to look at her. She seemed surprised and disappointed. "Yeah… You're right…"

_What am I doing, starting a relationship with Deidara? We're going to be separated again…_

Suddenly depressed, she got up and prepared everyone hot chocolate. She noticed a very long time ago that when she was sad, she cheered herself up by serving others. It was a strange habit. But somehow, seeing another person happy was enough to lift her spirits. However, she saw the look in Deidara's eyes, and she knew that he wanted to talk to her about it.

The three drank in silence. Deidara could feel what she was feeling – sad, depressed, disappointed. He looked at Sasori, who took it as his sign to leave. "Thanks for the drink, Hinata. I'll see you in a bit, okay?" He walked over and gave her a quick – much needed – hug and stalked off to his apartment.

Hinata tried to avoid eye contact with Deidara, but it was impossible, what with him tugging and playing with her hair. He finished his drink and reached over Hinata to set it down on the side table. He lingered in front of her for a while, and she couldn't help but look back at him. He stared into her eyes intently.

"You _are_ leaving… On the 4th." He said in a low murmur. She nodded, subconsciously bringing her face closer to his. "You're going back… to New York." She bit her lip and closed her eyes. She was about to cry, but desperately held back. Deidara held her face close to his. He kissed her lightly. "It's okay. We can do this." He reassured, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers. She shook her head as a tear began to fall down her cheek. "You know we can." He felt her wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his shoulder.

"I'll miss you… all the time…" She sobbed. He kissed her hair, her cheeks, and hugged her as tightly as he could. He couldn't help but blush in embarrassment – he didn't really know what to do when it came to comforting a girl. Especially about a relationship. _Their_ relationship. "I'll write to you, Hinata… for sure!" he assured, rubbing her back. She sobbed harder. _Oh. What to do…_ he closed his eyes and breathed in.

"I love you." He didn't know – it just came out. It definitely made her happy, though. She looked up at him and smiled a little. "I love you, too." He leaned down and kissed her softly, and she cheered up a little.

-:-

It was late at night, and Deidara sat at the kitchen table, pieces of paper and pens in front of him. _Let's see… If I write and send a letter to her today, then she'll get it by the time she gets home. I've gotta write something meaningful…_

Deidara sat there and thought long and hard. _It has to be something that'll… Um… reassure her. That I'll love her forever._ He thought of drawing her flowers and putting together a lovely package full of… well, anything he thought she'd like. But he didn't really have the time – or stealth – to do that.

Then, suddenly, something perfect popped into his mind. Immediately, he began to write.

-:-

Aah, kinda short. I dunno. I just wanted to put something up.

Hope everyone's enjoying life right now!

The story's almost over! D:


	7. Final: You Lucky Bastard

URRRH. VAMPIRE WEEKEND – HORCHATA. I'M ADDICTED. TO THAT SONG.

-:-

The car ride was silent.

Deidara was in the driver's seat, Hinata in the passenger's, and Sasori not in the trunk, but in the back seat, next to Hinata's luggage. Sneakily, he was sifting through her stuff and looking for something to remember her by. (The only thing he found was a pair of underwear, but he couldn't do that to her.)

When they reached the air port, Hinata shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Deidara, being the sweet thing he was, reached out and held her hand tightly. He kissed her hand and interlaced their fingers. Sasori saw them look at each other, blush, then look away. Their hands stayed locked together. _Gosh, those two…_ he thought wistfully.

Deidara parked his car, staying perfectly still in the driver's seat. Hinata slowly slid her hand out of his, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Good bye, Deidara." She whispered. Deidara's now empty hand twitched in response. Hinata looked downward, sad. "Bye, Hinata…" He seemed dazed all of a sudden. Sasori gave him a puzzled look as he helped Hinata with her stuff. He stepped out of the car and walked with Hinata to the building, looking back at the car. "He'll catch up, Hinata. Don't worry."

Deidara looked at his empty hand. A lump developed in his throat, and a single tear fell down his cheek.

_I'll miss her._

This thought sent him bawling – he leaned over the wheel and just let the tears fall silently onto the old, tough material of the horn.

_I love her._

_I'll miss her._

_I miss her _now.

_Why aren't I with her?_

These past couple of weeks have been the best he's had… ever. He couldn't believe that before now, they've only been writing to each other. He couldn't believe that _now_ they were in love – dating, no less. How time flies…

Suddenly, there was a rough jerk to the car. Deidara lifted his head and looked out his window. Sasori stood there, a mortally pissed look on his face. Hastily, he rolled down the window to see what he had to say.

"You total _dipshit._ What the hell's wrong with you!? What the hell're you doing _here_, moping around in your car while your girlfriend – literally – is walking away? Do you have any idea how she feels right now, without you!?" He verbally assaulted him. Deidara looked away. Sasori grabbed him by the ponytail and forced him to come out of the car. "Her flight's leaving in ten minutes and you have to move your way through about a hundred people by the door alone. Go to her, you tard." Sasori shoved Deidara into a running start. He still had a few tears in his eyes, but they were washed away with the speed he was going at.

Deidara entered through the doors, at a total loss of where to go. He'd never been to an air port before – never had a reason to. He almost gave up, if it weren't for the glimpse of blue hair in front of him. "Hinata!" he said loudly. A few people stared at him, but he ignored them. The girl with blue hair ahead of him wasn't Hinata, to his disappointment. However, when she walked away, she saw a sign that said, _Washington to New York – boarding in 5 minutes._ Then there was an arrow at the bottom that pointed in the direction of the dock (he assumed).

He broke into another breathtaking run, bumping into many people. He caught a glimpse of Sasori swiftly following behind him. He had no idea where to go, either.

Desperate, Deidara jumped over bags and dodged anonymous strangers to get to that dock where Hinata was boarding. Eventually he found it – with only three minutes to find her. He saw Hinata – for sure – walking slowly into the tunnel that connected to the plane. He was so relieved to see her, he almost slowed to a stop. However, Sasori ran up behind him and gave him a good kick in the back to get him running after her.

Of course, he didn't know that you had to give the nice lady your ticket to board the plane, so security stopped him in his tracks. Helpless, he cried out her name.

"HINATA!!" Deidara struggled in security's arms. Hinata turned around, surprised. She had been crying only moments ago – her eyes were slightly puffy. "Deidara…!" She dropped her bags and walked toward him.

_Two minutes until departure._

She broke into a run. Staff saw what the situation was, so they let Deidara go. He ran to her as well, breathing heavily with relief. He picked her up and spun her around. "Oh my God, that was too close…" he sighed into her shoulder. She held on to him, tears flowing from her eyes. "I'll miss you, Deidara. So much." She cried. Deidara felt a tear threaten to fall. "I know. I'll miss you, too." He kissed her head – her hair – and put her down on the ground. They pulled away to look into each other's eyes.

"Hinata, I… I love you." He said softly. She smiled. "I love you, too, Deidara." He leaned down and kissed her for as long as they could before the ticket lady told them to hurry along. She jumped up to give him one last kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Deidara. I love you!" She scurried into the plane as it was preparing itself to leave. He waved to her, trying his hardest not to cry. In public. "I love you, Hinata! Don't forget!" He yelled. He caught her beautiful smile as the door closed.

Deidara began walking back to Sasori, who was standing and waiting for him. "She'll come back." He said. Deidara nodded. "She'd better… Or I'll go over to New York myself." He laughed. Sasori grinned.

The two walked back to the car. Deidara looked up at the sky and saw the plane take off into the sky. Absently, he waved to the plane – to her – and he could have sworn he saw somebody waving back.

-:-

1: Neji woke up. Late.

2: He had about an hour to pack, double check, take a shower, triple check, get a taxi, go to the air port (which was a good 30 minutes away) and catch his flight. Or, at least, the same flight as Hinata's.

3: He took a shower.

4: He packed.

5: He double checked.

6: He just wasted 30 minutes.

Neji stumbled out the door of the hotel, quickly paid his expenses, and stormed out the door. There was still a considerable amount of snow, so getting a taxi was out. He quickly got on a bus, hoping that he could make it in time.

Amazingly, he did. The flight was just boarding, and he saw Hinata a few feet ahead of him. However, suddenly, he was pushed aside, and all of his stuff slid across the room. He looked around to glare at whoever the son-of-a-bitch was that pushed him, but his eyes caught sight of Deidara, chasing after Hinata. He was about to get up again, but another foot hit him in the back, and his face met the floor again.

_Dammit! Who was _that!? Neji straight up glared as he looked up to find that red-haired kid following after Deidara. Both were wreaking havoc – only the red haired kid seemed to know what he was doing.

He gathered his stuff and grumbled as he walked toward the dock, where he saw the sweetest scene ever. A boyfriend was saying good-bye to his girlfriend in an emotional kiss and hug.

Wait. That girlfriend seemed familiar.

Hey… that was Hinata!

-:-

Hinata got off the plane, sighing. Her heart ached already – and it's only been five hours! Deidara was so special to her… she couldn't imagine being without him anymore.

At the loading dock, she bumped into someone. Both fell to the ground. Hinata looked up to see someone very familiar. "Oh, I'm sorry…" She noticed that it was the guy in the trench coat and sunglasses. However, his sunglasses were knocked out, revealing a familiar set of eyes.

"…Neji."

Neji stood up and dusted himself off, not noticing that Hinata knew who he was. "Oh, it's quite alright. I hope you aren't hurt…" He reached up to adjust his sunglasses, which weren't there. Wide-eyed, he patted his pockets in search for them. Hinata handed them to him, and Neji knew he was found out. She gave him a skeptical look. "What are you _doing_ here? Dressed like that, no less!" She asked in a very, _very_ angry tone. "I – Well – You see – Uh – " Neji stammered.

"I can't believe you came with me to Washington! Don't you have any sense of privacy? You have no idea how many times I wanted to call the police because I saw you everywhere I went!" She scolded as they went to the parking lot to find their parents waiting for them. Their father seemed happy to see them at first, but then slowly realized what them walking together meant.

Hiashi shrunk down in the passenger's seat as his wife drove the car. Hinata was glaring daggers at him, while Neji was staring uneasily ahead.

"Dad… You sent Neji after me, didn't you?"

"I was only thinking of your safety, dear. It was for the best." Hiashi tried his best to maintain a professional attitude on the subject. He was actually scared shitless.

"Really? So you don't trust me, your 23 year old daughter who already lives on her own in a nice apartment on the other side of town, to go to Washington to visit a friend without killing herself? Thanks, Dad. That means a lot." Hinata hissed. It sent chills down Hiashi's spine.

Clearing his throat, he shamelessly asked, "Neji! Do you have any important findings to report?" Neji gulped. "Dad!" Hinata shrieked, blushing. "Y-Yes, sir! I have observed a very important development in Hinata's life… She has found herself a boy – " Hinata slapped a hand over Neji's mouth. " – friend! A friend, who happens to be a boy. Two guys, actually." Of course her parents thought otherwise.

"Oh my, has Hinata developed for herself a long distance relationship?" Her mother laughed from the wheel. Hinata blushed darkly. "What does it matter!? Aah, stop, it's embarrassing!" She crossed her arms and stared out the window.

--

When her family dropped her off at home (no doubt after a couple of hours trying to interrogate her about her new boyfriend) Hinata couldn't help but check the mail. It was a small habit of hers, and part of her expected a letter from Deidara, even though she just saw him a day ago. She went up to her apartment (by stairs, for memory's sake) and put her stuff on the bed before looking through two weeks of mail. She froze when she saw the last envelope in the pile.

_Dear Hinata, _it read.

_I was hoping that you'd be reading this the minute you got home. (If it's a little later than that, sorry!)_

_I know you miss me (and believe me, I miss you) so I was thinking that sometime during the spring I'd save up and go to New York to see you. Sasori's going to miss you too – it was refreshing for him to meet a new human being after so long. :P_

_I really wanted this to reach you ASAP, so it'd seem like we never had to leave each other. I hope it worked, and I hope you don't feel too lonely without me. I feel lonely without you (even though I wrote this before you left) and it put a hole in my gut to know that you were going to leave soon. _

_I just want you to know that I love you very much. And I miss you. A lot. _

_Love Love Love Love Love Love Love, _

_Deidara_

Hinata felt a tear run down her cheek and a smile spread on her face. She hugged the letter to her chest, letting it fill her heart up. Then she took a piece of paper and a pen and wrote back.

_Dear Deidara_

_If I had to write to you how much I miss you, I'd have to send you a whole package full of letters describing it! I can't believe how much I love you, and how quickly I fell in love with you. X) _

_I hope you do come over during the spring – or any time at all. I can't imagine what it'd be like if I could only see you once a year. _

_I miss you, too. And I love you so much. _

_Love times a million,_

_Hinata_

She wrapped it in an envelope and gave it a light peck to the front. She ran down the stairs and put the letter into her mailbox, just like she did so many times before. She turned and walked back to her apartment, craving something familiar and sweet. She sat at her kitchen table and set herself up a cup of hot chocolate. She read Deidara's letter over again, letting another tear of happiness drip into her drink.

_I can't wait to hear from you again, Deidara._

-:-

Deidara sat at his kitchen table, sipping a cup of hot chocolate. He read Hinata's letter over and over again and sighed. He knew it – he was really in love with her. It couldn't be normal to miss someone this much, could it?

He heard someone knock on the door, then the ka-chack of someone picking the lock. Sighing, he went over to the door, experiencing a large case of déjà vu. He opened the door to find Sasori crouched down in front of the lock, grumbling.

"Hello, loser." Yup. Extreme déjà vu.

"Well, I'm better than you in the girl department." Deidara smirked as Sasori grumbled a string of curses. "Aah, that's going to be your comeback from now on, isn't it?" He said as he stood up and walked in. "It's the truth, you know." Deidara said, walking with him into the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah. You lucky bastard."

-:-

The End!

A bit unsatisfying, but that's what the epilogue is for, right?

Thank's for reading, you guys!


	8. Epilogue: Wrinkled and Worn

This'll be kinda long… I just had so many ideas for this X)

-:-

"_Hello?"_

"Hello? Is this that flower shop in New York?"

"_One of the many, sir. How can I help you?"_

"Ah, well, you see, there's this girl…"

"_One bouquet of roses, coming up!"_

"W-Wait, really? Um. Let me explain. I'm from Washington, and –"

"_That's no problem sir! I myself was born in California, and – "_

"N-No, you don't understand. I'm calling _from _Washington. The girl I'm in love with lives where you are, in New York."

"_Ah, I see. First of all, mister, how do you plan on paying for this here delivery?"_

"I'll send you the money if that's okay…"

There was a short silence.

"_Sure thing, mister! Whereabouts might this bouquet be headed?"_

"Huh? I mean, here's the address…"

"_Ookey dokey, sir! I'll be sure to get this to her ASAP!"_

"Th-Thank you… And can you do one thing for me?"

"_Sure, you loveable oaf!"_

"H-Haha…. Well, can you make the card say, 'From Washington'?"

"_Aha! Smart one, aintcha? Sure thing! G'bye now!"_

"B-"

-:-

There was a knock on Hinata's door. She quickly got up to answer it, absently fixing her hair as she did so. "H-Hello?" She looked outside her door to find a bouquet of roses staring back at her.

"Ma'am, a dear feller you know decided to send you some flowers! I hope you don't mind!"

Perplexed, Hinata accepted. "N-Not at all…" She signed the clipboard the delivery person held out to her. "Oh! And I almost forgot! He told me to give you this, too." He handed her an envelope, which she tucked into the flower's wrapping.

"Ma'am, have a nice day, ya hear?"

"S-Sure… Thank you…" Hinata smiled awkwardly at the person then closed the door, stumbling to put the flowers on the table. She looked around for the card.

_From Washington_

Her heart skipped a beat when she read that. She quickly moved to open the letter, which she was disappointed to find was only a few words long. However, when she read them, they made the biggest difference.

_See you soon! _

_-Deidara_

-:-

Deidara had been saving up for this since Hinata stepped out of his car at the air port. He was going to New York and he was going to – in a very elaborate plan – propose to her. He knew it had only been a year since they last saw each other in real life, but he knew that he wouldn't find any other girl like Hinata anywhere else in the world.

As he stepped out into the parking lot of the bustling air port in New York, his heart began to panic (did he ever mention that he had slight anxiety problems that coupled with his mild claustrophobia?) and he found a place to sit down until the crowd died down.

He said that about two hours ago.

Deidara was just about to fall asleep when someone gently touched his shoulder. He took a peek at who the person was, and his heart skipped a beat.

"I'm sorry about the crowd… Everybody's returning home from vacations and business and stuff… It's always like this."

Her long blue hair never lost its sheen as she tucked it behind her ear. "I'm glad you're here, Deidara." She took his hand in hers and smiled a smile that melted his heart. "Hah… Y-Yeah… Me too… Hinata." Still amongst the mass of people, she stopped and turned, leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek. It cured him of his claustrophobia and anxiety checks, but it left his lips feeling jealous of the new warmth on his cheek.

They maneuvered their way out of the crowd and stopped at an empty bench, where he sat down and caught his breath. Hinata held his hand tightly – or was it him that was squeezing so tight? He looked up at her and grinned. "I'm _so_ not used to this people thing." He counted – he had bumped into several people, some of which almost dropped his stuff. When he apologized, they didn't hear and when he didn't apologize they gave him a death glare. Humans were confusing.

Hinata laughed, tugging Deidara across the parking lot (which was packed with traffic) and into Hinata's shiny-but-still-rather-old light blue car. The last of Winter 2010-2011 was at its coldest, and it bit Deidara full on after he stepped out of the undoubtedly heated swarm of people. As he sat in the car, Hinata waited for the car to warm up before expertly entering the string of traffic. She looked so concentrated, he didn't dare start a conversation. Instead, he studied her carefully, and slowly her small changes began to surface.

Her hair, of course had grown longer and a bit darker while the look in her eyes – though remaining innocent – held a sense of maturity. Her way of dress was more… professional. A bit different from what he saw her wear when he saw her last. He saw her shift uncomfortably and immediately looked the other way, blushing. How had he changed over the past year? If anything, his way of dress turned even shabbier and his hair had grown longer – in the bad way.

Suddenly self-conscious, he adjusted his ponytail and hair in a way that made him look more groomed. He busied himself with this until they reached Hinata's apartment complex, which reminded him of a hotel building. It made his apartment building look like a ghetto. (Not that it wasn't, but…)

She held his hand the entire way, all the way to the 5th floor. They took the elevators, since Deidara brought his luggage with him.

_I wonder… _Deidara suddenly thought, _Why she hasn't kissed me or hugged me yet?_ There were over a dozen opportunities for her to show that they were in a relationship – kiss, hug – but she didn't do anything and in fact, it looked like she was avoiding such public displays of affection. Deidara looked at her anxiously, wondering if he had done something wrong. When the door closed in her apartment and his bags were stacked at the door, he held her hand tightly as her grip began to loosen. She turned to look at him curiously, and he stared back with a look of worry.

"Deidara – " Suddenly she was pulled to him closely, and he pressed his lips against her forehead. She blushed, and he felt the heat against him rise to a comfortable level. He pulled away to see her face, which was mildly confused but happy. Carefully, he leaned down and kissed her lips, gentle and chaste, then quickly pulled back. She gave him a look that hinted that she wanted to kiss again. He laughed. Nothing had changed about that – he worried over nothing. Confused but willing, she let him kiss her again, only this time taking the never-before-taken step of tongue.

It's okay, Hinata. He didn't know what to do either.

In their confusion, they made their way to a wall with an empty side table – since they felt that their legs were about to give out. Deidara effortlessly picked Hinata up and placed her atop the table, placing a hand on the wall for balance. Her arms wrapped around him and her hands tangled his hair. When he pulled away, he realized that he had an inappropriate banana in his pocket and Hinata, embarrassed, closed her legs.

_I didn't know I could do that._ Deidara thought, trying to calm himself. He staggered over to the other wall, leaning against it while he regained his balance. _I've never had thoughts like that… about Hinata, anyway._ He felt himself blush and put a hand on his face. Hinata walked up to him and held his hand. Automatically, his arm went around her waist and pulled her in front of him. "I love you, Hinata. Didja know that?" He closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers.

"Yes… I love you, too."

--

When night time came around, and sleepiness was about them, Deidara came to notice one thing – there was only one bed. Now, thinking logically, Hinata probably figured – since they were going out – that they could just share a bed. She was right, but she had no idea how hard it was to control these sudden urges that he had concerning her and…

She had crawled into bed first, looking at him expectantly. Deidara tried his best to keep his composure. Hinata patted the spot beside her, and he went around, crawling in next to her. He leaned over, propping one arm on her other side, and kissed her softly and teasingly down to her shoulder. "Aah, I missed you so much…" he murmured as he brought his lips back up to kiss her. "I missed you, too. I wish we could stay together like this… forever…" She glanced up at him when he paused from kissing her. _Did I say something wrong…?_ She thought.

In fact, Deidara was in a euphoric state after hearing Hinata's interest in staying with him forever. His cheeks flushed and a strange tingle went through his body. He let his lips fall onto hers, putting his weight into the push. She was pushed back and down, resting her head among the pillows as he kissed her. "I want to stay together forever, too, Hinata."

Deidara got off of her and rolled to her side. He gathered her up in his arms and pulled the blankets over their shoulders.

_I'd love nothing more than to be with you forever._

-:-

Deidara's plan was fairly complicated.

On the day that he was supposed to leave, he would actually stake out at Hinata's parent's house, preparing himself for his big proposal night. A couple weeks before, he had taken the time to get to know Hinata's family and gained the courage to ask them for Hinata's hand in marriage. They gladly accepted, to his surprise, and now his plan could take action.

He only had a week to get his money, buy the perfect ring, and set up a cool night out without spending the money he had left (which he was sure would be around $5, aside from his 'going home' ticket budget). It would be a challenge.

-:-

As Hinata hugged him tightly for a very emotional good-bye, he scanned the air port's parking lot for Hinata's parent's car, which was waiting for him in the farthest corner. Mentally he sighed, then focused back on Hinata, who looked up at him, teary eyed.

"Now it's my turn to visit you…" She said softly, clutching his jacket. Deidara smiled, moving to wipe her tears away. "Yeah… I hope you do soon. I get lonely pretty easily." He gave her one 'last' kiss goodbye before walking into the ever-present crowd of people. He glanced back at her – she was waving. He smiled back and waved, disappearing into zoo of loading docks and families.

--

A good two hours later, Deidara made his way back to the parking lot, where the family was still waiting. He hurried over to them, panicked that they spent two hours in a parking lot waiting for him to finish faking a trip back to Washington. He tapped on the window and Neji, the older brother, woke up from his nap and opened the van's door for him and his bags.

"Oh, God. Thank you so much for waiting. I'm sorry I took so long… there were just so many people and –"

"Don't worry about it, dear! I'm just so excited that you're planning to marry our daughter! It's just so… exciting! Isn't it, honey?" Hinata's mom, at the driver's seat, glanced at Deidara and then looked at Hiashi, who nodded in agreement. "This is a most exciting event." Deidara laughed nervously, tapping absently on the handle of his bag.

"Now, you'll be staying in Hinata's room (before she moved out) since she barely goes there anymore. When Hinata comes to visit, it's extremely crucial (for your plan) that you hide or stay quiet."

Deidara sat on the couch, paying careful attention to the Hyuga parents as they paced in front of him in unison. It was like a military debriefing. They went over other things, like household chores (and how he was to do his own laundry), and cleaning up after yourself when you're in the living room/house in general. He completely understood, and he figured that he'd have done all those things even if they hadn't told him to.

Now his plan could start. And his first order of business was:

Send her roses.

-:-

_I wonder why Deidara hasn't responded to my letter yet._ Hinata sat at her kitchen table, a cup of hot chocolate (a brand that she recently got addicted to) sitting cold on its surface. _What if I did something to him while he was here? I mean… we did make out a couple times…_ She blushed, of course. _Maybe I kissed him wrong? Oh, what if I made it awkward between us?_

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. She slowly got up to answer it, wondering who it could possibly be. Cautiously, the door opened, and a large bouquet of flowers was flopped into her face.

"Hiya there, missy!"

It was the slightly familiar flower delivery boy. There was no envelope, only a small card attached that said,

_Roberto's Restaurant  
1234 5__th__ AVE SW, Bleeker Street  
7:00pm  
Dress nicely._

Hinata turned the card over and looked for a name, but didn't find any. "Um… Who sent these?" She asked. The delivery boy grinned. "Oh! A fine feller named D – " he cut himself off, then laughed to himself. "The feller wished to remain a mystery…" He said in a fun tone. Hinata laughed, but for the life of her could not think of any person who could possibly send her flowers and the address of a fancy restaurant. It was a bit unsettling.

"W-Well, thank you." She accepted the flowers and the delivery boy left. Hinata looked at the time and saw that she had about an hour and a half to prepare. She didn't even have a dress.

Would she go? Of course. How rude would it be to keep the person waiting? She'd just ask Neji to spy on her in case it was someone shady… Seemed like a solid plan, right?

Hinata ran over to the nice store down the street and bought a nice simple dress and shoes for the night. She kept the receipt, since she figured it would only be a one-night thing. Then she packed her bag with her wallet, lipstick, pepper spray, Nun-Chucks, and a Swiss Army knife (with a can opener). Just in case, y'know?

It was already 6:30, so she figured she'd just head on down to the restaurant now. She was pretty sure of where the restaurant was – she'd probably passed it a few times.

So, with the mindset of self defense, she made her way down to 1234 5th AVE South West Bleeker Street.

--

"Um… hey. I-I have a question. Deidara self-consciously adjusted his tie and shifted his smooth, clean, black blazer into a more comfortable position. He was sitting alone at a table for two, waiting for his date to maybe-arrive thirty minutes early.

"Yes sir?"

"Well, you see… I-I'm going to as my girlfriend to… m-marry me. And I was wondering…"

"…Yes, sir?"

"Is there a certain routine I have to go through? Like, do I go down on my right knee or my left? And should I hold her hand? Or would I be holding the ring? Do I hold it with both hands? My right? Left? And what if she says no? Does she walk off? Or eat dinner with me still? Because if she walked off, I'd be okay with it (well, not really,) but I'd think it'd be very rude for her to do so. But it'd be awkward between us from now on, right? I mean, she's like, my best friend…"

The waiter laughed, and Deidara sighed, exasperated. "Sir, if she really loves you, and you really love her – " "I do." " – then it'll all work out in your favor." The waiter smiled at him and walked off to serve other customers.

It was a good ten minutes, and Deidara was sitting at his table, fiddling with the ring. He stared at it, wondering if it was good enough. He imagined it on Hinata's left ring finger – her hand holding his, interlaced – and how, later on, their hands would grow wrinkled and worn, but still holding each other in their house by the sea.

……….

Did he really just imagine growing old with Hinata?

He laughed out loud to himself, earning a couple looks from other people. Deidara rested his head in his propped hand, a flushed expression reaching his cheeks. He fingered the ring, letting it roll in his fingers and smiled. He heard the door of the restaurant open and looked up, seeing a wisp of blue hair before feeling the ring fall from his fingertips and onto the floor. Panicked, he ducked under the table to look for it.

"Here is your table, madam. Your waiter will be with you shortly." The man escorting Hinata pulled her chair out for her to sit, and Deidara froze under the table. He saw her legs tuck themselves under the tablecloth. Those sexy, sexy legs wearing cute black flats. He didn't realize it until she kicked him in the face. Apparently, he brushed against her leg the wrong way, and she reacted accordingly.

When he sat up, she sprayed pepper spray in his eyes.

"Yaaagh!!" Deidara fell sideways, back on the floor. Briefly he wanted to search for the ring he hadn't found yet, but decided against it – he lost his engagement ring. His heart was heavy as he felt Hinata help him up.

"D-Deidara!?" She shrieked, panicked.

When everything cleared out, Deidara decided to leave the restaurant. He secretly told the manager that if they found a ring to send it to Hinata's parent's address (which he gave). He felt depressed, but still had a whole night to explain to Hinata why he was there.

They held hands as they walked to a nearby park bench. Hinata was still a bit angry with him, but he still couldn't see due to the – erm – pepper spray. They sat down, under the bright light of the moon and clear sky's stars. Hinata eventually let go of her anger, realizing that she was more happy that he was here at all. Though she was still confused, she felt bad for making him partially blind from the pepper spray. She looked up at him; his eyes seemed to have recovered. However, he looked rather depressed, and naturally she wondered why.

Gently, she nudged him, and he looked at her and smiled. He didn't really feel like talking, but always felt like being next to her. For a moment, he thought of them, their hands wrinkled and worn, sitting in this very same park bench in the springtime. As he focused on his legs, he noticed something sparkle in the crevice of his right pant leg. Slowly, he analyzed it, wondering what it could possibly be. The eye of God telling him he was a failure? A jewel that fell from another person's purse into the fold? No… wait, he knew what it was…!

It was the ring!

Suddenly, a large smile spread across his face. He paid no mind to the strange look on Hinata's face. He glanced around – the setting was as perfect as it could have been. He looked at Hinata and held her hand tightly as he slid down on one knee. Oh, the look on her face. She had no idea what was going on. "Hinata…" All of his previous planning was forgotten. His brain was functioning naturally – it was as if his body knew what to do from the start.

"We've been writing to each other for a good… three years now. That's a pretty long time, you know."He paused. She giggled, blushing. He chuckled a little. He reached into his pant leg and pulled out the ring, shiny and gold. Her laughter faded into a gasp as he held it out in front of her. "And, Hinata," he sighed, feeling a bit wistful in the moment. "I think it's safe to say that I've fallen for you. I mean, you're only the most amazing, beautiful, awesome person I've ever met…" He was quiet for a little while. Hinata was struggling to keep her heart from pounding out of her chest. Deidara lifted her left hand and kissed her ring finger.

"Hinata Hyuga, I love you. Will you… marry me?"

It seemed to take her a moment to respond. He felt something wet fall onto his hand – a tear. She was crying. Frantic, he held her hand tightly. "I-I'm sorry! Did I do something wrong?" He looked at her with absolute worry. What had he done wrong?

Hinata shook her head, covering her face with her hand. "Y-You're perfect, Deidara. Nothing's wrong, but…" _But?_ Deidara stared at her, extremely worried. "It's just… I… I-I love you so much! I… I don't know how to respond…" She choked a sob. Confused, he started, "Is that… a yes?"

She took a deep breath and calmed herself. She reached out and kissed his forehead. "Yes, Deidara. I will marry you."

Now it took _him_ a minute to respond. When the words sunk in, he jumped up, howled in happiness and picked Hinata up from the waist. "Hinata!" He yelled her name to the heavens, putting her down and kissing her as hard as he could without hurting her. She smiled and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him.

The ring he slipped on her finger glistened in the moonlight.

-:-

So, Hinata and Deidara got married. Sasori was the best man, and Hinata decided to move to Washington. It surprised everyone, believe me. However, her family was glad that she was going out to see the world, even though it was only in Washington. They were happy to have him as a Son-In-Law.

Hinata and Deidara had twins (oddly). Yuki and Tsuki. The couple loved them to death. Sasori did, too.

Every year, for summer vacation or Christmas holiday, the five of them would visit Hinata's family in New York.

And, most importantly, Hinata and Deidara grew old together, holding their hands, withered and worn.

-:-

So long!

Farewell!

Thanks so much for reading, everyone! I had as much fun writing this story as you did reading it! (Well, at least I HOPE you had fun with this story…)

I love you all! Goodbyeee…..

-TWA


End file.
